This Akira-Inspired Japanese Motorcycle Goes Full Godzilla Mode, Literally

A concept headed for a production run, this minimalist high-performance bike promises to be a street-eating monster.

Closeup of Ichiban Electric Motorcycle handlebars on gray background

Published February 4, 2025

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There are a lot of concept motorcycles floating around the internet, and I mean a lot. But few of those bikes ever get turned into a reality. Fewer still look as good and promise as much as the Ichiban electric motorcycle.

This beautiful bike draws inspiration from many sources, including anime, Japanese design, and even a particularly popular kaiju. The motorcycle world is in for a real treat if it can deliver.

Ichiban Electric Motorcycle on black background — This gorgeous bike draws inspiration from the anime *Akira* and the Kanso Japanese design principle.

From the page to the pavement

Led by award-winning industrial designer Ivan Zhurba, Ichiban has taken a long road to becoming a reality. The team’s first concept emerged in 2022, and the bike you see today has been in the works (in some form or another) for two years.

Although a few more hurdles remain to get this performance bike into production, the brand has won several design awards and attracted investor attention. A passing glance at the design reveals why.

Even for an electric bike, the Ichiban is unusually sleek and cops some of the same retrofuturism we’ve seen in the car market recently.

The bike’s design is based on the lauded 1980s anime Akira. While the connection to Shotaro Kaneda’s bike in the movie is clear, the Ichiban is much more toned-down and realistic. Yet, it’s still unique and eye-catching — a boon for modern riders.

That’s probably because one of the other sources of influence is the minimalist concept of kanso, which is Japanese for “simplicity” or “purity” and is one of the seven principles of wabi-sabi. Even for an electric bike, the Ichiban is unusually sleek and cops some of the same retrofuturism we’ve seen in the car market recently.

A gorgeous, inspired design is one thing. However, a rideable bike with real specs is another. Thankfully, the brand has also unveiled some of that information.

Closeup of Ichiban Electric Motorcycle headlight on gray background — Although the bike started as a concept, the brand has said it will be going into production.

Kaiju power

The brand is currently manufacturing the prototype, so much can change before a true production run, but Ichiban has unveiled some vital tidbits of information about its specifications.

The all-electric performance bike is said to have a 45kW power dual-motor system that can push it from 0-100 km (roughly 62 mph) in 3.5 seconds. It also has a battery that’s good for 250 km (a little over 155 miles) per charge and can juice up to 70 percent in only 30 minutes.

Crank the throttle, and you get a boost to maximum torque and horsepower for 10 seconds straight.

But the most exciting promise of the Ichiban is its “Godzilla” mode (yes, like the city-smashing kaiju). Crank the throttle, and you get a boost to maximum torque and horsepower for 10 seconds straight.

Of course, the bike also has a host of expected standard features, such as ABS, traction control, a digital cockpit display, integrated head and tail lights and much more. I just hope the ride is smooth enough to take advantage of it all.

Ichiban electric motorcycle in city with rider standing leaning on it — How closely the production model will resemble the eye-catching prototype remains to be seen.

Coming soon?

As mentioned, the Ichiban electric motorcycle is still in the prototyping phase and not yet in production.

However, the brand accepts email signups on its website (toward the bottom of the page), so you can be the first to hear about production updates, pricing and availability.